Not so much a joke in and of itself, but I love that Bush feels that opposing teenage alcoholism is the kind of stance that he needs to get fired up about.
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America's Favorite Non-prehistoric Cartoon Family - The Simpsons Thread
- Thread starter Johnny Unusual
- Start date
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Scenes from a Class Struggle in Springfield
I rarely have to dress up to go anywhere but I do have a nice suit. I spent well over $1,000 a few years ago for a suit to wear to a family friend's big birthday party in a hotel. Unfortunately, I don't get to use the clothes very often and this year I wore it to a special family dinner just to get some use out of it and feel like I'm doing something special. But most of the time, I look at my clothes and say "I like them but I'm not fashionable. Sometimes I wish I looked cool." Most of the time, I'm happy wearing comfort but who doesn't want to look impressive and want to wow people.
In this episode, Marge stumbles upon a Chanel suit in an outlet mall and treats herself to it. Wearing it out on an errand, Marge meets a girl she vaguely knew in high school who is impressed with her fashion. She invites her and her family to her country club and Marge manages to make a good impression. She goes again but one of the club members teases her wearing the same suit again. Marge uses her sewing machine to repurpose the suit in a stylish way but while it looks impressive, the club member mocks her for wearing a "mangled Chanel suit". Marge's new friend offers to sponsor the Simpsons for membership in the country club and Marge tries to repurpose her suit again only to accidentally destroy it. Marge then decides to buy a new suit worth thousands and is angry at her family for their nature. Eventually, Marge realizes that she'd rather have the comfort of family rather than stressing about having to keep up appearances.
The Simpsons are often specifically placed as the lower middle class and while the show eventually more or less drops the family having to scrimp and save, the family is still constantly trying to find ways to better their financial standing. This episode is about the family not looking to increase their financial standing but Marge trying to increase their social standing. Its obvious if Marge didn't end up with Homer, she probably would have been a lot more successful, if not financially than at least in terms of accomplishing a goal. While she is proud, rightly, of her work as a wife and mother, she's also often aware of other paths that she never took. An artist, an actress, a cop. Obviously, she finds she can still be these things, though some of them she realizes that while she might meet the potential, she has a reason to return to her unglamorous life. But in this episode, she gets accepted by people she long assumed where her social betters and she wants to show she has what it takes to fight in.
The episode doesn't have too much politically to say about class, though the upper class people she meets are clearly a bunch of Karens who, like the Parks in Parasite, are nice but cluelessly entitled. The only overtly mean one is a Dorothy Parker clone who seems more interested in being scene as cutting rather than being mean with a greater purpose. Usually, stories like these are about Homer wanting to be someone through fame, accomplishment or money with Marge finding joy in where they are. But here, Marge is getting noticed by someone who was vaguely aware of her in high school and gets the chance to be seen as just as impressive. In trying to keep up a look, Marge finds herself contemptuous for a time of her own family's failings until she is reminded they aren't failings, they are what make them great.
As a comment on class... I'm not sure. Like, there are some things we can all think our fine: some times class can alter values. Being mean in the name of class sucks. I feel like though it is not the intended lesson, someone could see Marge's final decision as "Stay in your lane." But while I don't think I have a complete handle on what this one is trying to say in regards to the relationships between the classes, my takeaway is there are some games not worth playing, particularly if it makes you lose track of the things you love.
As for the b-plot of Homer playing golf... its pretty good.
Jokes I missed before:
Hey, now I know who Dorothy Parker is.
Other great jokes:
"I know a genuine Panaphonics when I see one. And look, there's Magnetbox and Sorny."
"It features: two pronged wall plug, pre-molded handgrip well, durable outer casing to prevent fall-apart."
"It wouldn't be right to buy something just for me. Now if it was a suit we could all wear, maybe..."
"Fill it up with petroleum distillate and revulcanize my tires post-haste."
"Lisa, you know I don't like you using the word 'hotbed'."
"Of course, there was a terrible mess, but Iris didn't mind cleaning it up."
"I didn't order a boloney sandwich, I ordered an abolone sandwich."
"Don't ask me, I'm just hair. You're head stopped 18 inches ago."
I like that Tom Kite went through that whole thing just to yell at Homer for stealing his clubs.
"Oh, don't worry Marge. Her idea of wit is nothing more than an incisive observation humourously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing."
"I wonder if this Homer Nixon is any relation."
"Unlikely, sir, they spell and pronounce their name differently."
"At times like this, I guess all you can do is laugh."
*stares into space forever*
"I hope she didn't take my attempt to destroy her too seriously."
"I pickled the figs myself."
Other notes:
I wanna watch Parasite again. Right now.
"Did you know that Lincoln and Kennedy had the same handicap?"
Is this a really dark joke about how they both had holes in their heads or am I reading too much into it?
Hey, a woman writer AND a woman director in this one. Is this a first or did I miss it when it first happened?
I rarely have to dress up to go anywhere but I do have a nice suit. I spent well over $1,000 a few years ago for a suit to wear to a family friend's big birthday party in a hotel. Unfortunately, I don't get to use the clothes very often and this year I wore it to a special family dinner just to get some use out of it and feel like I'm doing something special. But most of the time, I look at my clothes and say "I like them but I'm not fashionable. Sometimes I wish I looked cool." Most of the time, I'm happy wearing comfort but who doesn't want to look impressive and want to wow people.
In this episode, Marge stumbles upon a Chanel suit in an outlet mall and treats herself to it. Wearing it out on an errand, Marge meets a girl she vaguely knew in high school who is impressed with her fashion. She invites her and her family to her country club and Marge manages to make a good impression. She goes again but one of the club members teases her wearing the same suit again. Marge uses her sewing machine to repurpose the suit in a stylish way but while it looks impressive, the club member mocks her for wearing a "mangled Chanel suit". Marge's new friend offers to sponsor the Simpsons for membership in the country club and Marge tries to repurpose her suit again only to accidentally destroy it. Marge then decides to buy a new suit worth thousands and is angry at her family for their nature. Eventually, Marge realizes that she'd rather have the comfort of family rather than stressing about having to keep up appearances.
The Simpsons are often specifically placed as the lower middle class and while the show eventually more or less drops the family having to scrimp and save, the family is still constantly trying to find ways to better their financial standing. This episode is about the family not looking to increase their financial standing but Marge trying to increase their social standing. Its obvious if Marge didn't end up with Homer, she probably would have been a lot more successful, if not financially than at least in terms of accomplishing a goal. While she is proud, rightly, of her work as a wife and mother, she's also often aware of other paths that she never took. An artist, an actress, a cop. Obviously, she finds she can still be these things, though some of them she realizes that while she might meet the potential, she has a reason to return to her unglamorous life. But in this episode, she gets accepted by people she long assumed where her social betters and she wants to show she has what it takes to fight in.
The episode doesn't have too much politically to say about class, though the upper class people she meets are clearly a bunch of Karens who, like the Parks in Parasite, are nice but cluelessly entitled. The only overtly mean one is a Dorothy Parker clone who seems more interested in being scene as cutting rather than being mean with a greater purpose. Usually, stories like these are about Homer wanting to be someone through fame, accomplishment or money with Marge finding joy in where they are. But here, Marge is getting noticed by someone who was vaguely aware of her in high school and gets the chance to be seen as just as impressive. In trying to keep up a look, Marge finds herself contemptuous for a time of her own family's failings until she is reminded they aren't failings, they are what make them great.
As a comment on class... I'm not sure. Like, there are some things we can all think our fine: some times class can alter values. Being mean in the name of class sucks. I feel like though it is not the intended lesson, someone could see Marge's final decision as "Stay in your lane." But while I don't think I have a complete handle on what this one is trying to say in regards to the relationships between the classes, my takeaway is there are some games not worth playing, particularly if it makes you lose track of the things you love.
As for the b-plot of Homer playing golf... its pretty good.
Jokes I missed before:
Hey, now I know who Dorothy Parker is.
Other great jokes:
"I know a genuine Panaphonics when I see one. And look, there's Magnetbox and Sorny."
"It features: two pronged wall plug, pre-molded handgrip well, durable outer casing to prevent fall-apart."
"It wouldn't be right to buy something just for me. Now if it was a suit we could all wear, maybe..."
"Fill it up with petroleum distillate and revulcanize my tires post-haste."
"Lisa, you know I don't like you using the word 'hotbed'."
"Of course, there was a terrible mess, but Iris didn't mind cleaning it up."
"I didn't order a boloney sandwich, I ordered an abolone sandwich."
"Don't ask me, I'm just hair. You're head stopped 18 inches ago."
I like that Tom Kite went through that whole thing just to yell at Homer for stealing his clubs.
"Oh, don't worry Marge. Her idea of wit is nothing more than an incisive observation humourously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing."
"I wonder if this Homer Nixon is any relation."
"Unlikely, sir, they spell and pronounce their name differently."
"At times like this, I guess all you can do is laugh."
*stares into space forever*
"I hope she didn't take my attempt to destroy her too seriously."
"I pickled the figs myself."
Other notes:
I wanna watch Parasite again. Right now.
"Did you know that Lincoln and Kennedy had the same handicap?"
Is this a really dark joke about how they both had holes in their heads or am I reading too much into it?
Hey, a woman writer AND a woman director in this one. Is this a first or did I miss it when it first happened?
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Bart the Fink
I feel like while I'm not some huge well of untapped superpotential (OK, I do but I'm also aware that I have delusions/fantasies of grandeur) but I know if I was willing to do work that I didn't like, I could probably make more money than I do now. As a teacher, I loved seeing students grow and knowing I played a role. But the greater drug is the love of adoring children. Of course it is. But it isn't just "yay, I made a child happy", its "yay, I'm popular." Its not just the love, its the feeding of my ego and knowing that I'm important. The fact that I was courted more than once when I decided to leave on of my jobs (the nature of it made me feel uncomfortable but the concept made me feel like a huge cheese in a small pond). I could probably make more money, but there's something to be said for a job that allows me to feel popular.
In this episode, Bart tries to get Krusty's autograph by slipping a check into his pocket and waiting for him to endorse it. However, Bart is confused when it comes back with a stamp to a Cayman Islands off-shore holding corporation. Bart wants an explanation and after taking it to the bank, Bart inadvertently uncovers that Krusty is a huge tax cheat. Krusty is sparred jail but his fortune is stripped away and with it his status, sending him into a depression. One evening, Krusty is seen flying over Springfield in his personal plane, which crashes into a mountain. Bart is overcome with guilt in the part he played in Krusty's downfall but one day he sees him on the street. After a couple more sightings, Bart becomes convinced he's alive. Putting together a common element in the sightings, Bart discovers that Krusty is living as sunken ship salvager Rory B. Bellows. "Rory" reveals he faked his death and wants to be free of his previous life and debts. Bart and Lisa convince Krusty to return because while he might be able to forget the people who made him famous, he can't turn his back on the adulation they provide him.
Bart the Fink is a great episode but I can't help examining closely what makes Bart's final case to Krusty so convincing. He brings back Krusty's earlier contention that "teachers and scientists" are hogging all the glory and reminds him he was once more popular than all of them combined. Its easily to see it as cynical but I feel like there's something going on that's more than just mean-spirited. Krusty is forced to admit that he definitely has an extremely superficial "love" of the phonies. Lisa points out that celebrity makes you feel better than regular people, which I imagine is 100 per cent true, even if one tries to deny it. I mean, no matter how humble you are, if you are CONSTANTLY being told how important you are, that's going to effect you. Even if you have low self-esteem, it probably makes you feel like you are a better person who sucks worse than anyone. But in the end, Bart appeals to his sense of glory (you know, the glory of being a clown). Earlier Krusty thinks respect without money is nothing, but with both gone and the reveal that Krusty could have made much of his money back easily, it is the desire to be more respected than those who deserve it that spurs him forward. So why does it not feel like a bitter pill and even a little triumphant? Perhaps simply because Krusty is being honest with himself and deciding what matters to him, even if it is something base like vainglory.
Much of the episode is about Bart dealing with the guilt of bringing a downfall to his hero. Objectively, Bart did nothing wrong and everything lies in Krusty's hands. The relationship between these two are different than anyone else in the show; as off the beaten path in terms of characterizations go, Bart never has anything less than complete admiration for Krusty save for when his betrayal goes to far. Bart's love is not a blind love; he's intensely aware of every scandal and publicly known misdeed and can site them off better than anyone. Its not even unconditional. But it is relentless and no matter how badly Bart's been betrayed, he's ready to come back. Krusty, meanwhile, despite Bart's repeated involvement in his life, doesn't even seem to remember Bart's name until the story happens and they throw in together. He doesn't hate Bart, but he doesn't think much of him. I don't even mean in terms of respect, I mean he literally doesn't stay in his mind, much in the same way Homer doesn't stick in Burns mind. Krusty is so dependent on Bart so often but while Krusty doesn't dislike Bart when he's around, its out of sight, out of mind.
I only got it in this viewing but the last act is heavily inspired by one of my favourite movies, Vertigo, down to a Bernard Hermann-esque score. I won't go into much detail if you haven't seen that one (the movie is famous but I think the story isn't as well known as Psycho so there's a good chance going into this one without knowing all the twists) but it does involve someone seeing someone they thought had died. But while Vertigo is a creepy movie about the male gaze, Bart the Fink is about Bart's. Krusty is everything to Bart but when Krusty isn't Krusty, he's not afraid of getting all up in his grill to make Krusty BE Krusty. In Vertigo, there's a tragic warped mutual but not mutual love wrapped in lies and guilt. In Bart the Fink there is love and guilt but the love isn't mutual. But Bart realizes Krusty needs love. Not a romantic or even platonic love but the love and respect from people to make him feel big. It doesn't matter too much who. The audience is a sea of anonymous people. But as long as they sing his praises, he'll find a way back to the spotlight, regardless of the cost. Even his own life. But I wouldn't worry; he has a few to spare.
Jokes I missed before:
Not one of the Simpsons better "toy with a hacky old joke" jokes but I did notice it this time.
Other great jokes:
"Best night's sleep I've ever had."
"Their tapwater tasted better than ours."
"Some might say you're a hero, kid. Not me, though, I love Krusty."
"I don't say evasion, I say avoision."
Me trying to figure out my taxes.
"All I brought's a dime. I didn't know there'd be pornography."
"The moon hit his eye like a big pizza pie. We wrote a song about it. But it ended up infringing on one he wrote years before."
"If only there was something to interrupt this awkward moment."
"Yes, that'll do nicely."
"OK folks, nothing to see here-- OH MY GOD, A HORRIBLE PLANE CRASH!"
"Don't worry, son. I'm sure he's up in heaven right now laughing it up with all the other celebrities. John Dillinger, Ty Cobb, Joseph Stalin..."
"And so Herschel Krustofsky is gone, but not forgotten: today was the unveiling of the new Krusty stamp. Postal patrons were asked to choose between two competing designs: one of Krusty's heartwarming smile and one of his fiery death. By a nearly two to one vote, the smiling Krusty was chosen."
"Don't let Krusty's death get you down, boy. People die all the time. Why, you could wake up dead tomorrow. Well, good night."
"Just as if I were to tell you that Jasper here has five seconds to live."
"What'd he say?"
"HE SAID I'M NEXT."
Man, Mrs. Glick has no chill this season.
Extra emphasis for the Pier One joke.
Other notes:
I had to double check if this was the same haunted house inheritance from Homer Loves Flanders. Nope; the last one was from Uncle Boris and this one was from Great Aunt Hortense.
So do you think Comic Book Guy buying $100 tacos to watch Doctor Who also ties things into Lisa's PBS money plans?
Bart's check plan is a clever plan.
Another background appearance from Miss Pennycandy, Krusty's loving assistant, who may never get another speaking role. Also, she's blond in this episode.
I feel like while I'm not some huge well of untapped superpotential (OK, I do but I'm also aware that I have delusions/fantasies of grandeur) but I know if I was willing to do work that I didn't like, I could probably make more money than I do now. As a teacher, I loved seeing students grow and knowing I played a role. But the greater drug is the love of adoring children. Of course it is. But it isn't just "yay, I made a child happy", its "yay, I'm popular." Its not just the love, its the feeding of my ego and knowing that I'm important. The fact that I was courted more than once when I decided to leave on of my jobs (the nature of it made me feel uncomfortable but the concept made me feel like a huge cheese in a small pond). I could probably make more money, but there's something to be said for a job that allows me to feel popular.
In this episode, Bart tries to get Krusty's autograph by slipping a check into his pocket and waiting for him to endorse it. However, Bart is confused when it comes back with a stamp to a Cayman Islands off-shore holding corporation. Bart wants an explanation and after taking it to the bank, Bart inadvertently uncovers that Krusty is a huge tax cheat. Krusty is sparred jail but his fortune is stripped away and with it his status, sending him into a depression. One evening, Krusty is seen flying over Springfield in his personal plane, which crashes into a mountain. Bart is overcome with guilt in the part he played in Krusty's downfall but one day he sees him on the street. After a couple more sightings, Bart becomes convinced he's alive. Putting together a common element in the sightings, Bart discovers that Krusty is living as sunken ship salvager Rory B. Bellows. "Rory" reveals he faked his death and wants to be free of his previous life and debts. Bart and Lisa convince Krusty to return because while he might be able to forget the people who made him famous, he can't turn his back on the adulation they provide him.
Bart the Fink is a great episode but I can't help examining closely what makes Bart's final case to Krusty so convincing. He brings back Krusty's earlier contention that "teachers and scientists" are hogging all the glory and reminds him he was once more popular than all of them combined. Its easily to see it as cynical but I feel like there's something going on that's more than just mean-spirited. Krusty is forced to admit that he definitely has an extremely superficial "love" of the phonies. Lisa points out that celebrity makes you feel better than regular people, which I imagine is 100 per cent true, even if one tries to deny it. I mean, no matter how humble you are, if you are CONSTANTLY being told how important you are, that's going to effect you. Even if you have low self-esteem, it probably makes you feel like you are a better person who sucks worse than anyone. But in the end, Bart appeals to his sense of glory (you know, the glory of being a clown). Earlier Krusty thinks respect without money is nothing, but with both gone and the reveal that Krusty could have made much of his money back easily, it is the desire to be more respected than those who deserve it that spurs him forward. So why does it not feel like a bitter pill and even a little triumphant? Perhaps simply because Krusty is being honest with himself and deciding what matters to him, even if it is something base like vainglory.
Much of the episode is about Bart dealing with the guilt of bringing a downfall to his hero. Objectively, Bart did nothing wrong and everything lies in Krusty's hands. The relationship between these two are different than anyone else in the show; as off the beaten path in terms of characterizations go, Bart never has anything less than complete admiration for Krusty save for when his betrayal goes to far. Bart's love is not a blind love; he's intensely aware of every scandal and publicly known misdeed and can site them off better than anyone. Its not even unconditional. But it is relentless and no matter how badly Bart's been betrayed, he's ready to come back. Krusty, meanwhile, despite Bart's repeated involvement in his life, doesn't even seem to remember Bart's name until the story happens and they throw in together. He doesn't hate Bart, but he doesn't think much of him. I don't even mean in terms of respect, I mean he literally doesn't stay in his mind, much in the same way Homer doesn't stick in Burns mind. Krusty is so dependent on Bart so often but while Krusty doesn't dislike Bart when he's around, its out of sight, out of mind.
I only got it in this viewing but the last act is heavily inspired by one of my favourite movies, Vertigo, down to a Bernard Hermann-esque score. I won't go into much detail if you haven't seen that one (the movie is famous but I think the story isn't as well known as Psycho so there's a good chance going into this one without knowing all the twists) but it does involve someone seeing someone they thought had died. But while Vertigo is a creepy movie about the male gaze, Bart the Fink is about Bart's. Krusty is everything to Bart but when Krusty isn't Krusty, he's not afraid of getting all up in his grill to make Krusty BE Krusty. In Vertigo, there's a tragic warped mutual but not mutual love wrapped in lies and guilt. In Bart the Fink there is love and guilt but the love isn't mutual. But Bart realizes Krusty needs love. Not a romantic or even platonic love but the love and respect from people to make him feel big. It doesn't matter too much who. The audience is a sea of anonymous people. But as long as they sing his praises, he'll find a way back to the spotlight, regardless of the cost. Even his own life. But I wouldn't worry; he has a few to spare.
Jokes I missed before:
Not one of the Simpsons better "toy with a hacky old joke" jokes but I did notice it this time.
Other great jokes:
"Best night's sleep I've ever had."
"Their tapwater tasted better than ours."
"Some might say you're a hero, kid. Not me, though, I love Krusty."
"I don't say evasion, I say avoision."
"All I brought's a dime. I didn't know there'd be pornography."
"The moon hit his eye like a big pizza pie. We wrote a song about it. But it ended up infringing on one he wrote years before."
"If only there was something to interrupt this awkward moment."
"Yes, that'll do nicely."
"OK folks, nothing to see here-- OH MY GOD, A HORRIBLE PLANE CRASH!"
"Don't worry, son. I'm sure he's up in heaven right now laughing it up with all the other celebrities. John Dillinger, Ty Cobb, Joseph Stalin..."
"And so Herschel Krustofsky is gone, but not forgotten: today was the unveiling of the new Krusty stamp. Postal patrons were asked to choose between two competing designs: one of Krusty's heartwarming smile and one of his fiery death. By a nearly two to one vote, the smiling Krusty was chosen."
"Don't let Krusty's death get you down, boy. People die all the time. Why, you could wake up dead tomorrow. Well, good night."
"Just as if I were to tell you that Jasper here has five seconds to live."
"What'd he say?"
"HE SAID I'M NEXT."
Man, Mrs. Glick has no chill this season.
Other notes:
I had to double check if this was the same haunted house inheritance from Homer Loves Flanders. Nope; the last one was from Uncle Boris and this one was from Great Aunt Hortense.
So do you think Comic Book Guy buying $100 tacos to watch Doctor Who also ties things into Lisa's PBS money plans?
Bart's check plan is a clever plan.
Another background appearance from Miss Pennycandy, Krusty's loving assistant, who may never get another speaking role. Also, she's blond in this episode.
It’s not a joke by any stretch, but the image of Krusty just barely holding back from punching Bart right in the face is the one image that always sticks with me from this episode
"Come on Mom, you never treat yourself to anything."
"Oh, sure, I do! I treated myself to a Sanka not three days ago."
Also, Krusty's "I knew my kind wasn't welcome here" was a pretty dark joke.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Lisa the Iconoclast
I feel like in the last 10 years, we've come to accept that we don't have to accept the bad behaviour of our cultural heroes. I was a big Louis C.K. fan until it was reveal he was an A-1 ultra-creep. And I'd be lying if I said his jokes didn't come into my head from time to time as words of wisdom, because even awful people can be observant and articulate. Then I think I got to the phase where I accepted I could just quit creators I knew had done awful things; I was a pretty big fan of the films of Roman Polanski but the fact that he's alive and can still make money off of his films means I cannot comfortably tacitly support him. I enjoyed the work of Kevin Spacey but again, we have another person who turned out to be a monster. Its feels bad to find these things out about the prominent people we like but it is important and good for it to happen. But there are people who simply don't want to accept it. Its an instinct I understand but cannot abide. Its one thing to keep a problematic person and/or their works in their heart but a lot of the way people do that is through denial, either of the crime itself or that the crime is "such a big deal" or that it is water under the bridge and "can we move on please"? Its an attitude astutely observed in this episode but I feel like the climax, well intended as it is and coming from a real place, doesn't really work with modern views.
In this episode, Springfield is preparing to celebrate its bicentennial and Lisa has to do a report on town founder Jebediah Springfield. During her research at the Springfield Historical Society, Lisa discovers a confessional note were Jebediah Springfield confesses to being a murderous pirate named Hans Sprungfeld. Lisa continues her research and discovers evidence that supports her belief and decides to let the town know. Homer uses his position as town crier to support his daughter but soon her efforts court controversy and scorn and she is brought before the town council. Lisa won't back down and the town agrees to unearth Jebediah Springfield to find evidence of Lisa's story. They do so, but find nothing and as punishment, Homer is removed from his role as town crier. Lisa feels guilty until she solves the mystery of the missing evidence... it was taken by town historian Hollis Hurlbut. Hurlbut is forced to confess that the evidence negated his life's work and he couldn't take it. He agrees with Lisa to help her confess the truth to the town with the new evidence but seeing the people showing community pride, she feels that while Sprungfeld might not be worth adulation, his myth has real value.
Its kind of a weird ending. I understand where the writer was coming from; our shared cultural myth's value may be greater than the facts. But at the same time, turning a blind eye to the truth intentionally for the sake of the status quo doesn't work through a modern lens. Columbus Day has thankfully largely fallen out of favour in America and is even replaced in many places with Indigenous People's Day. There's a danger in mythologizing people, even people long past and its good to look at them and see and be truthful about their failings. The myth might have value but it also might come with people choosing to accept something other than truth and deny it simply out of fear. Ironically, within the context of the episode, Lisa's final decision is not as bad as if it were an actual historical figure as his crimes are cartoonish and small compared to direct ties to sin that the US can still feel to this day such as abuses against indigenous peoples.
Other than that, Lisa the Iconoclast is a really good episode and the rest of it holds up like a solid house. Lisa discovering the truth and being met not only with disbelief but downright spite is something that greatly reflects the world we are seeing today, as it probably reflected the world 24 years ago. Ms. Hoover calling Lisa a PC thug makes her sound like Judge Janine or any number of Fox pundits. Apu, meanwhile, is in a much more sympathetic situation where he as an outsider would be threatened by any extra scrutiny. Hollis Hurlbut is also sympathetic even as he makes the wrong decision; he can see the truth but doesn't want to accept it, knowing that he dedicated a long career to a villain. Its scary when you realize that you've dedicated your life to a monster.
I'm a big fan of Donald Sutherland who, as I understand it, isn't problematic but can be hard to work with at times. He appears in some fantastic movies (neither Don't Look Now nor Invasion of the Body Snatchers appeared on the recent horror movie list but both would have been worthy entrees) and he has a wonderful voice. He plays the humour well but he also gives Hurlbut an almost ASMR level of gentleness rare in the Simpsons' wild world and it helps the episode a lot. I also love the use of Homer in the episode. A rare occasion, despite still being unmistakably Homer (headstrong, dumb, loud-mouthed, looking for excuses for destruction), he spends the entire episode being a positive force if your name isn't Flanders. He uses and loses his position to help his daughter because he knows her well enough to trust her instincts, something even Marge refuses to do. Homer's oafishness both as town crier and as Lisa's supporter become a weapon, able to call attention and brute force things into being. Homer losing his position seems silly but the episode really does set up he's good at it and its important to him and when he's sad that he lost it but can still muster a pained smile because he loves his daughter and wants to show her it was worth it is more pathos than you would expect from Homer losing one of his sillier jobs. Even as dumb as Homer can be, he knows there are causes and, probably more important to him, people worth fighting for, even at the cost of personal comfort.
Jokes I missed before:
"Dangerous river crossings threatened life and limb but helped early settlers save on bridge tolls."
Other great jokes:
"I hope they show the time were they traded the Indians guns for corn and then the Indians shot them and took the corn."
Me too, Bart.
"It's some sort of land cow!"
"'Embiggens'? I've never heard that word before I moved to Springfield."
"I don't know why? It's a perfectly cromulent word."
"Yeah. dad. you're a big fat loudmouth and you can walk when you have to."
"He's embiggened that role with that cromulent performance."
I feel like a different definition of cromulent applies her than when Ms. Hoover said it. But then, I think she meant it as "acceptable" and to Skinner, that's a hell of superlative.
"Here's his fife were he sounded the sweet song of freedom, his axe, that hacked away the chains of oppression and his.... chamberpot."
"Sounds like you've come down with a serious case of Jebiditus."
"Just after I was getting over my Chester A. Arthritis."
"Hehehe... you had arthritis?"
"No."
"I've been called a greasy thug, too. And it never stops hurting. Here's what we're going to do; grease ourselves up real good..."
"You're banned from this historical society. You and your children and your children's children. For three months."
"Barney, show em the exit."
"There's an exit?"
"Pirate? Well, that's hardly the image we want for Long John Silver's!"
"Don't forget to look in his shoes. When I lose something, sometimes it turns up in my shoes."
"No, not Janey! She'll pack the Supreme Court with boys!"
Other notes:
Embiggens and Cromulent were created in this episode and are in fact now "actual" words. Embiggens appears in more than one scientific publication and cromulent is in dictionary.com's 21st Century lexicon.
Sutherland ad libbed the line "You had arthritis?" This is why I love Sutherland. Please don't have me find you suck more than some "difficult on set" crap.
I feel like in the last 10 years, we've come to accept that we don't have to accept the bad behaviour of our cultural heroes. I was a big Louis C.K. fan until it was reveal he was an A-1 ultra-creep. And I'd be lying if I said his jokes didn't come into my head from time to time as words of wisdom, because even awful people can be observant and articulate. Then I think I got to the phase where I accepted I could just quit creators I knew had done awful things; I was a pretty big fan of the films of Roman Polanski but the fact that he's alive and can still make money off of his films means I cannot comfortably tacitly support him. I enjoyed the work of Kevin Spacey but again, we have another person who turned out to be a monster. Its feels bad to find these things out about the prominent people we like but it is important and good for it to happen. But there are people who simply don't want to accept it. Its an instinct I understand but cannot abide. Its one thing to keep a problematic person and/or their works in their heart but a lot of the way people do that is through denial, either of the crime itself or that the crime is "such a big deal" or that it is water under the bridge and "can we move on please"? Its an attitude astutely observed in this episode but I feel like the climax, well intended as it is and coming from a real place, doesn't really work with modern views.
In this episode, Springfield is preparing to celebrate its bicentennial and Lisa has to do a report on town founder Jebediah Springfield. During her research at the Springfield Historical Society, Lisa discovers a confessional note were Jebediah Springfield confesses to being a murderous pirate named Hans Sprungfeld. Lisa continues her research and discovers evidence that supports her belief and decides to let the town know. Homer uses his position as town crier to support his daughter but soon her efforts court controversy and scorn and she is brought before the town council. Lisa won't back down and the town agrees to unearth Jebediah Springfield to find evidence of Lisa's story. They do so, but find nothing and as punishment, Homer is removed from his role as town crier. Lisa feels guilty until she solves the mystery of the missing evidence... it was taken by town historian Hollis Hurlbut. Hurlbut is forced to confess that the evidence negated his life's work and he couldn't take it. He agrees with Lisa to help her confess the truth to the town with the new evidence but seeing the people showing community pride, she feels that while Sprungfeld might not be worth adulation, his myth has real value.
Its kind of a weird ending. I understand where the writer was coming from; our shared cultural myth's value may be greater than the facts. But at the same time, turning a blind eye to the truth intentionally for the sake of the status quo doesn't work through a modern lens. Columbus Day has thankfully largely fallen out of favour in America and is even replaced in many places with Indigenous People's Day. There's a danger in mythologizing people, even people long past and its good to look at them and see and be truthful about their failings. The myth might have value but it also might come with people choosing to accept something other than truth and deny it simply out of fear. Ironically, within the context of the episode, Lisa's final decision is not as bad as if it were an actual historical figure as his crimes are cartoonish and small compared to direct ties to sin that the US can still feel to this day such as abuses against indigenous peoples.
Other than that, Lisa the Iconoclast is a really good episode and the rest of it holds up like a solid house. Lisa discovering the truth and being met not only with disbelief but downright spite is something that greatly reflects the world we are seeing today, as it probably reflected the world 24 years ago. Ms. Hoover calling Lisa a PC thug makes her sound like Judge Janine or any number of Fox pundits. Apu, meanwhile, is in a much more sympathetic situation where he as an outsider would be threatened by any extra scrutiny. Hollis Hurlbut is also sympathetic even as he makes the wrong decision; he can see the truth but doesn't want to accept it, knowing that he dedicated a long career to a villain. Its scary when you realize that you've dedicated your life to a monster.
I'm a big fan of Donald Sutherland who, as I understand it, isn't problematic but can be hard to work with at times. He appears in some fantastic movies (neither Don't Look Now nor Invasion of the Body Snatchers appeared on the recent horror movie list but both would have been worthy entrees) and he has a wonderful voice. He plays the humour well but he also gives Hurlbut an almost ASMR level of gentleness rare in the Simpsons' wild world and it helps the episode a lot. I also love the use of Homer in the episode. A rare occasion, despite still being unmistakably Homer (headstrong, dumb, loud-mouthed, looking for excuses for destruction), he spends the entire episode being a positive force if your name isn't Flanders. He uses and loses his position to help his daughter because he knows her well enough to trust her instincts, something even Marge refuses to do. Homer's oafishness both as town crier and as Lisa's supporter become a weapon, able to call attention and brute force things into being. Homer losing his position seems silly but the episode really does set up he's good at it and its important to him and when he's sad that he lost it but can still muster a pained smile because he loves his daughter and wants to show her it was worth it is more pathos than you would expect from Homer losing one of his sillier jobs. Even as dumb as Homer can be, he knows there are causes and, probably more important to him, people worth fighting for, even at the cost of personal comfort.
Jokes I missed before:
"Dangerous river crossings threatened life and limb but helped early settlers save on bridge tolls."
Other great jokes:
"I hope they show the time were they traded the Indians guns for corn and then the Indians shot them and took the corn."
Me too, Bart.
"It's some sort of land cow!"
"'Embiggens'? I've never heard that word before I moved to Springfield."
"I don't know why? It's a perfectly cromulent word."
"Yeah. dad. you're a big fat loudmouth and you can walk when you have to."
"He's embiggened that role with that cromulent performance."
I feel like a different definition of cromulent applies her than when Ms. Hoover said it. But then, I think she meant it as "acceptable" and to Skinner, that's a hell of superlative.
"Here's his fife were he sounded the sweet song of freedom, his axe, that hacked away the chains of oppression and his.... chamberpot."
"Sounds like you've come down with a serious case of Jebiditus."
"Just after I was getting over my Chester A. Arthritis."
"Hehehe... you had arthritis?"
"No."
"I've been called a greasy thug, too. And it never stops hurting. Here's what we're going to do; grease ourselves up real good..."
"You're banned from this historical society. You and your children and your children's children. For three months."
"Barney, show em the exit."
"There's an exit?"
"Pirate? Well, that's hardly the image we want for Long John Silver's!"
"Don't forget to look in his shoes. When I lose something, sometimes it turns up in my shoes."
"No, not Janey! She'll pack the Supreme Court with boys!"
Embiggens and Cromulent were created in this episode and are in fact now "actual" words. Embiggens appears in more than one scientific publication and cromulent is in dictionary.com's 21st Century lexicon.
Sutherland ad libbed the line "You had arthritis?" This is why I love Sutherland. Please don't have me find you suck more than some "difficult on set" crap.
Honestly, out of all the possible hard truths to learn about a personal hero, “literally a pirate” is... one of the better ones.
Also; the delivery of “Give me all your money” is a line that’s stuck with me my entire life
Also; the delivery of “Give me all your money” is a line that’s stuck with me my entire life
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
I'll be honest, it was a bit hard to accept when watching One Piece when I put it together recently...
Especially since he's pitted against George Washington, who is a far better example of "person treated as a hero that we need to accept did really bad things" given he literally owned slaves.
Agreed that "Jebediah Springfield was a pirate who tried to kill George Washington once" is pretty mild on the historical side. Especially compared to the shit that Columbus pulled.
I also agree that the people should've had this knowledge revealed to them with the evidence backing it up.
But that said, a preteen child and a historian revealing this info in front of a huge crowd during an event celebrating the man probably wouldn't have gone over so well. I mean, the town of Springfield did try to murder Bart once for decapitating the statue of its founder.
I also agree that the people should've had this knowledge revealed to them with the evidence backing it up.
But that said, a preteen child and a historian revealing this info in front of a huge crowd during an event celebrating the man probably wouldn't have gone over so well. I mean, the town of Springfield did try to murder Bart once for decapitating the statue of its founder.
Ludendorkk
(he/him)
This might be my favorite bit from the whole show, I love this guy with 20 seconds of total screentime
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Homer the Smithers
Coming this fall, I will likely not have the job I've been doing for the last five years. Both kids will likely be ready for full time daycare or at least not enough to justify paying me a living wage. I've had to do a lot for these kids: carry them around, change them, teach them to talk, read to them, entertain them, drive them places, coordinate calls to their Maddie and Didi and hug them when they are upset or just when they need a hug. I've seen them change. Now I can leave them alone in a room while I go to the bathroom... mostly. The bigger one can watch out for the little one when my hands are full. Its really given us a special relationship but as it is, it will have to come to an end soon.
In this episode, Mr. Burns has a scary run-in with a drunk employee and Smithers feels bad about letting it happen. Seeing Smithers in a disruptive funk, Burns orders him to take a vacation. Smithers, not wanting anyone to outshine him, hires the most incompetent employee he can think of; Homer Simpson. Homer tries his best but surprising no one, he makes for a terrible personal assistant. The abuse Burns gives to Homer for his incompetence ends up reaching a breaking point and Homer flips out and punches Mr. Burns unconscious. Homer flees in childish fear and when he finally returns he finds Burns is scared to death of him. Burns finds himself having to be independent and discovers that he loves it. When Smithers returns, Burns fires him, feeling like he no longer needs an assistant. Smithers finds himself taking a series of jobs that don't work out and Homer decides to help Smithers conspire to get back in Burns' good graces. However, Homer's incompetence once again ruins things, resulting in a fight between Smithers and Homer which accidentally results in Burns being seriously injured. While traction, Burns needs Smithers' help, setting the world back to the status quo.
In many ways, this feels like the most conventionally sitcom-y episode since Team Homer and even then this one has more shenanigans going on, right to Homer and Smithers trying to use a prank to win the day. But at its heart is a funny but cynical tale of the end of a symbiotic relationship where the host body finds it no longer needs its companion but the feeling isn't mutual. The conclusion is about undermining the actual growth that Springfield's most famous 104 year old man has achieved. The happy ending is the status quo and that's not uncommon but often a character has learned something in a way where they don't need to change in any perceptible way accept ideally they don't need to learn the same lesson again (IE, re-use the same plot). But this is one of those status quo re-establishers where the status quo is worse than the change that threatened it. Burns probably wouldn't have become a more moral person but for what little its worth he would have felt more fulfilled and Smithers is happy that it is taken away so he can fill the void. The Simpsons is a largely moral show but this is a largely amoral episode without ruining the moral compass of the characters we love (unlike some later episodes).
This one has little in the way of a moral and really is a character study of what Burns needs vs. what Smithers needs and the humour in putting them in different life scenarios (as well as Homer and Mr. Burns getting to play off of each other). We learn that Smithers is hyper competent by all his energy is dedicated to one man while Burns wealth and aging without having to navigate the world as it has changed has made him out of touch with not only people and culture but reality itself. When Burns finally does, he's not quite in touch but at least he has the skills to navigate the world within his limited space. Its surprising that Smithers needs Burns more than the reverse but it works for an interesting dynamic.
Homer is very much in the episode too and rather than being the more sensitive Homer of last episode, he's the oblivious obnoxious Homer of Homer Goes to College, especially in the last act. He's slightly less obnoxious than that, due to the fact that while he's a bad employee, he makes a genuine effort. And Burns has every right to chew him out but as you might imagine, Homer's oafishness, great as it is, does not justify Burns abuse. The mid-episode turn where Burns is punched out and Homer is scared and runs home like a child is perfectly in character and a little more dramatic and even cinematic than the rest of the episode (Burns' heavy breathing is particularly striking in such a cartoonish episode). Really, this is a Swartzwelder joke factory because while the man can right a good story, I usually get that at a certain point in the Simpsons run he decided a story is a sturdy bone to hang the meat of humour from and this one has it in spades. But it also gets a little insight into three of the shows wackier characters.
Jokes I missed before:
I think I missed out obnoxiously big Homer's hat is in this one, even for a cartoon hat worn by Homer Simpson.
Other great jokes:
"Cirrhosis of the liver liver liver!"
"Yeah, liver!"
Bi-oculars
"And his breath smelled of beer and pretzeled bread."
This is a perfect bit.
"Um, is this the chair I'll be sitting on?"
"Yeah. Now I understand caring for Mr. Burns seems like a big job but actually its 2,800 small jobs."
"Uh-Huh. But this is the chair, right?"
"All the recent events of your life have revolved around him in some way."
"Simpson, eh?"
"That's some nice reckless driving Mr. B."
"Mr. Burns' mother is 122 years old so try to sound more desiccated. And she doesn't call her son Mr. Burns."
"What'd you get that for?"
"For knocking Mr. Burns out a three story window."
"Did he die?"
"What am I, a doctor?"
credits
Other notes:
The jumble is easily the funniest puzzle in the newspaper because its for babies.
Coming this fall, I will likely not have the job I've been doing for the last five years. Both kids will likely be ready for full time daycare or at least not enough to justify paying me a living wage. I've had to do a lot for these kids: carry them around, change them, teach them to talk, read to them, entertain them, drive them places, coordinate calls to their Maddie and Didi and hug them when they are upset or just when they need a hug. I've seen them change. Now I can leave them alone in a room while I go to the bathroom... mostly. The bigger one can watch out for the little one when my hands are full. Its really given us a special relationship but as it is, it will have to come to an end soon.
In this episode, Mr. Burns has a scary run-in with a drunk employee and Smithers feels bad about letting it happen. Seeing Smithers in a disruptive funk, Burns orders him to take a vacation. Smithers, not wanting anyone to outshine him, hires the most incompetent employee he can think of; Homer Simpson. Homer tries his best but surprising no one, he makes for a terrible personal assistant. The abuse Burns gives to Homer for his incompetence ends up reaching a breaking point and Homer flips out and punches Mr. Burns unconscious. Homer flees in childish fear and when he finally returns he finds Burns is scared to death of him. Burns finds himself having to be independent and discovers that he loves it. When Smithers returns, Burns fires him, feeling like he no longer needs an assistant. Smithers finds himself taking a series of jobs that don't work out and Homer decides to help Smithers conspire to get back in Burns' good graces. However, Homer's incompetence once again ruins things, resulting in a fight between Smithers and Homer which accidentally results in Burns being seriously injured. While traction, Burns needs Smithers' help, setting the world back to the status quo.
In many ways, this feels like the most conventionally sitcom-y episode since Team Homer and even then this one has more shenanigans going on, right to Homer and Smithers trying to use a prank to win the day. But at its heart is a funny but cynical tale of the end of a symbiotic relationship where the host body finds it no longer needs its companion but the feeling isn't mutual. The conclusion is about undermining the actual growth that Springfield's most famous 104 year old man has achieved. The happy ending is the status quo and that's not uncommon but often a character has learned something in a way where they don't need to change in any perceptible way accept ideally they don't need to learn the same lesson again (IE, re-use the same plot). But this is one of those status quo re-establishers where the status quo is worse than the change that threatened it. Burns probably wouldn't have become a more moral person but for what little its worth he would have felt more fulfilled and Smithers is happy that it is taken away so he can fill the void. The Simpsons is a largely moral show but this is a largely amoral episode without ruining the moral compass of the characters we love (unlike some later episodes).
This one has little in the way of a moral and really is a character study of what Burns needs vs. what Smithers needs and the humour in putting them in different life scenarios (as well as Homer and Mr. Burns getting to play off of each other). We learn that Smithers is hyper competent by all his energy is dedicated to one man while Burns wealth and aging without having to navigate the world as it has changed has made him out of touch with not only people and culture but reality itself. When Burns finally does, he's not quite in touch but at least he has the skills to navigate the world within his limited space. Its surprising that Smithers needs Burns more than the reverse but it works for an interesting dynamic.
Homer is very much in the episode too and rather than being the more sensitive Homer of last episode, he's the oblivious obnoxious Homer of Homer Goes to College, especially in the last act. He's slightly less obnoxious than that, due to the fact that while he's a bad employee, he makes a genuine effort. And Burns has every right to chew him out but as you might imagine, Homer's oafishness, great as it is, does not justify Burns abuse. The mid-episode turn where Burns is punched out and Homer is scared and runs home like a child is perfectly in character and a little more dramatic and even cinematic than the rest of the episode (Burns' heavy breathing is particularly striking in such a cartoonish episode). Really, this is a Swartzwelder joke factory because while the man can right a good story, I usually get that at a certain point in the Simpsons run he decided a story is a sturdy bone to hang the meat of humour from and this one has it in spades. But it also gets a little insight into three of the shows wackier characters.
Jokes I missed before:
I think I missed out obnoxiously big Homer's hat is in this one, even for a cartoon hat worn by Homer Simpson.
Other great jokes:
"Cirrhosis of the liver liver liver!"
"Yeah, liver!"
Bi-oculars
"And his breath smelled of beer and pretzeled bread."
"Um, is this the chair I'll be sitting on?"
"Yeah. Now I understand caring for Mr. Burns seems like a big job but actually its 2,800 small jobs."
"Uh-Huh. But this is the chair, right?"
"All the recent events of your life have revolved around him in some way."
"Simpson, eh?"
"That's some nice reckless driving Mr. B."
"Mr. Burns' mother is 122 years old so try to sound more desiccated. And she doesn't call her son Mr. Burns."
"What'd you get that for?"
"For knocking Mr. Burns out a three story window."
"Did he die?"
"What am I, a doctor?"
credits
Other notes:
The jumble is easily the funniest puzzle in the newspaper because its for babies.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Day The Violence Died
I love cartoons, superhero comics, and IP-styled pop culture of all stripes. So its always tough to except that characters who to me represent imagination, justice and fun are the results of theft, theft-adjacent legal fuckery and ownership by people who represent the kind of ills the shows I like lampoon or espouse being against. I can still love the characters and stories but also learned to be wary of the companies that bring it to me. The Simpsons is definitely one such show, so its fascinating that this episode owned by Disney is an examination of one of its most iconic and symbolic crimes: the theft of Mickey Mouse. The character was created by Ub Iwerks but Walt Disney is the man who became a household name, while Iwerks will always be a general knowledge footnote for creating the most recognizable figure in cartoon history.
In this episode, Bart follows a parade celebrating the 75th year of Itchy and Scratchy to the bad part of town and meets Chester Lampwick, who claims to have created Itchy and with it cartoon violence. Lampwick proves his claim by showing Bart the cartoon premiere of Itchy only for it to be destroyed due to deterioration the moment the film ends. Bart decides to help Lampwick convince Roger Meyers Jr, the son of the "creator" of Itchy and Scratchy but with no evidence they are thrown out. The two then decides to take Roger Meyers, Jr to court and manage to win when Bart remembers an animation frame from the original cartoon being sold at the comic book shop. The case is won and justice is done... only for Bart to realize he's bankrupted his favorite cartoon. With the studio out of dough and Lampwick pretty happy to divorce himself from cartoons, the Simpson kids seem stumped. Eventually, they come up with a solution... only to be beaten to the punch by Lester and Eliza, two kids who seem remarkably like themselves.
I remember this being a very funny episode, but I'm surprised how cleverly constructed it is. I think I missed the REALLY obvious joke of the third act, that it was the show about knock offs was solved.... by knock offs. I guess I missed the obvious commentary and focused more on it being a mocking of the ridiculousness that Bart and Lisa alone seem to be constantly solving everyone's problems. And it is but I love that the end of the second act is what is traditionally the third act and Bart discovering that doing the right thing actively worked against what he wanted: Itchy and Scratchy. After all, Bart definitely wants more cartoons, even if he wants the man responsible to get the payment he deserved. But the entertainment business and altruism are not really on the same page. One person's deserved happy ending isn't another's.
In Chester Lampwick, its easy to see not only Iwerks but a number of other important creators; Jerry Robinson and Bill Finger, who essentially created Batman and the Joker and everything you love about Batman while Bob Kane provided... this.
There's the artists at Marvel who DID get credit but the Marvel method muddied the waters and often allowed Stan Lee to claim more credit for things than he probably deserved in many cases. Theft is a big part of cartoons and comics. It sucks and the Simpsons know this. In the end, Chester doesn't want to produce more cartoons because he's moved on. He's never treated as selfish or even bitter for doing this and wanting to be away from the industry that hurt him.
The end of the episode toys with that adding onto the traditional ending and revealing that theft will also save Itchy and Scratchy as the creator was ripped off by the government. Thieves all the way up there are. But having it all done not by our heroes by clear rip offs who come in to steal the thunder from Bart and Lisa. Its a very absurd and clever way to tie up the episode and toy with the show's usual formula. The episode is written by John Swartzwelder and feels like a real love letter to cartoons and the knowledge that the things you love have skeletons in their closet and that the values of a work don't reflect the values of the owner. Its interesting to realize the Simpsons' value always seemed counter to its existence, a flash in the pan fad with Bart shilling Butterfingers before even becoming a series. The Simpsons can have a cynical view of the machine but they also know they are a part of it.
Other great jokes:
"Tonight, a stowaway bear is terrorizing space shuttle astronauts..."
The most Swartzwelder tossed off scenario.
"Oh, you're powers of deducing are exceptional. I simply can't allow you to waste them here when there are so many crimes going unsolved at this very moment. Go go! For the good of the city!"
Good sarcasm.
"When I complained he kicked me out of his office and his thugs dropped an anvil on me. Luckily I was carrying an umbrella."
"Find me a 90 year old projector and I'll prove it to you."
*Smash cut to school*
"Look out Itchy! He's Irish!"
"He's a good man. Every Christmas he goes to the pound and rescues one cat and one mouse and gives them to a hungry family."
"Mom, there's a weird smell and a lot of cursing coming from the basement and dad's upstairs."
"Except Flatulent Fox, that was based on a true story."
"Well, your honor, we have plenty of hearsay and conjecture. Those are kinds of evidence."
Again, much better lawyer than Rudy Guliani.
Roger Meyers "animation is built on plagiarism" speech is great but the scene cut from syndication is the best. I love Marge overenunciating the title.
Other notes:
I'm with Grandpa. If he took one corn muffin and it was bad, fine. But he took a whole plate. A WHOLE PLATE. PAINT HIS CHICKEN COOP!
Suzanne Sommers voices herself in the episode. And yep, that is the original Schoolhouse Rock voice in the Schoolhouse Rock parody.
I love how poorly thought out the cartoon characters are. Dinner Dog reeks of "stopped trying". But I would watch a million Rich Uncle Skeleton cartoons. It was the Parasite of its day.
I love cartoons, superhero comics, and IP-styled pop culture of all stripes. So its always tough to except that characters who to me represent imagination, justice and fun are the results of theft, theft-adjacent legal fuckery and ownership by people who represent the kind of ills the shows I like lampoon or espouse being against. I can still love the characters and stories but also learned to be wary of the companies that bring it to me. The Simpsons is definitely one such show, so its fascinating that this episode owned by Disney is an examination of one of its most iconic and symbolic crimes: the theft of Mickey Mouse. The character was created by Ub Iwerks but Walt Disney is the man who became a household name, while Iwerks will always be a general knowledge footnote for creating the most recognizable figure in cartoon history.
In this episode, Bart follows a parade celebrating the 75th year of Itchy and Scratchy to the bad part of town and meets Chester Lampwick, who claims to have created Itchy and with it cartoon violence. Lampwick proves his claim by showing Bart the cartoon premiere of Itchy only for it to be destroyed due to deterioration the moment the film ends. Bart decides to help Lampwick convince Roger Meyers Jr, the son of the "creator" of Itchy and Scratchy but with no evidence they are thrown out. The two then decides to take Roger Meyers, Jr to court and manage to win when Bart remembers an animation frame from the original cartoon being sold at the comic book shop. The case is won and justice is done... only for Bart to realize he's bankrupted his favorite cartoon. With the studio out of dough and Lampwick pretty happy to divorce himself from cartoons, the Simpson kids seem stumped. Eventually, they come up with a solution... only to be beaten to the punch by Lester and Eliza, two kids who seem remarkably like themselves.
I remember this being a very funny episode, but I'm surprised how cleverly constructed it is. I think I missed the REALLY obvious joke of the third act, that it was the show about knock offs was solved.... by knock offs. I guess I missed the obvious commentary and focused more on it being a mocking of the ridiculousness that Bart and Lisa alone seem to be constantly solving everyone's problems. And it is but I love that the end of the second act is what is traditionally the third act and Bart discovering that doing the right thing actively worked against what he wanted: Itchy and Scratchy. After all, Bart definitely wants more cartoons, even if he wants the man responsible to get the payment he deserved. But the entertainment business and altruism are not really on the same page. One person's deserved happy ending isn't another's.
In Chester Lampwick, its easy to see not only Iwerks but a number of other important creators; Jerry Robinson and Bill Finger, who essentially created Batman and the Joker and everything you love about Batman while Bob Kane provided... this.
There's the artists at Marvel who DID get credit but the Marvel method muddied the waters and often allowed Stan Lee to claim more credit for things than he probably deserved in many cases. Theft is a big part of cartoons and comics. It sucks and the Simpsons know this. In the end, Chester doesn't want to produce more cartoons because he's moved on. He's never treated as selfish or even bitter for doing this and wanting to be away from the industry that hurt him.
The end of the episode toys with that adding onto the traditional ending and revealing that theft will also save Itchy and Scratchy as the creator was ripped off by the government. Thieves all the way up there are. But having it all done not by our heroes by clear rip offs who come in to steal the thunder from Bart and Lisa. Its a very absurd and clever way to tie up the episode and toy with the show's usual formula. The episode is written by John Swartzwelder and feels like a real love letter to cartoons and the knowledge that the things you love have skeletons in their closet and that the values of a work don't reflect the values of the owner. Its interesting to realize the Simpsons' value always seemed counter to its existence, a flash in the pan fad with Bart shilling Butterfingers before even becoming a series. The Simpsons can have a cynical view of the machine but they also know they are a part of it.
Other great jokes:
"Tonight, a stowaway bear is terrorizing space shuttle astronauts..."
The most Swartzwelder tossed off scenario.
"Oh, you're powers of deducing are exceptional. I simply can't allow you to waste them here when there are so many crimes going unsolved at this very moment. Go go! For the good of the city!"
Good sarcasm.
"When I complained he kicked me out of his office and his thugs dropped an anvil on me. Luckily I was carrying an umbrella."
"Find me a 90 year old projector and I'll prove it to you."
*Smash cut to school*
"Look out Itchy! He's Irish!"
"He's a good man. Every Christmas he goes to the pound and rescues one cat and one mouse and gives them to a hungry family."
"Mom, there's a weird smell and a lot of cursing coming from the basement and dad's upstairs."
"Except Flatulent Fox, that was based on a true story."
"Well, your honor, we have plenty of hearsay and conjecture. Those are kinds of evidence."
Again, much better lawyer than Rudy Guliani.
Other notes:
I'm with Grandpa. If he took one corn muffin and it was bad, fine. But he took a whole plate. A WHOLE PLATE. PAINT HIS CHICKEN COOP!
Suzanne Sommers voices herself in the episode. And yep, that is the original Schoolhouse Rock voice in the Schoolhouse Rock parody.
I love how poorly thought out the cartoon characters are. Dinner Dog reeks of "stopped trying". But I would watch a million Rich Uncle Skeleton cartoons. It was the Parasite of its day.
"I'm sorry. Monty can't come to the phone right now. He's in a very important meeting and can't be disturbed."
zonetrope
(he/him)
I always thought the "we need another Vietnam to thin out their ranks a little" exchange was really weird. But now that I know more about the writers, it's pure Swartzwelder to write a hyper-conservative pastiche of '70s educational TV, then have characters directly state that an entire generation who finds this kind of pastiche amusing should be sent off to war to die.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
A Fish Called Selma
Phil Hartman was one of my comedy heroes. When I heard about his death, I was completely floored. He was never going to be anything more than a character actor but I've learned non-leading character actors are my favourites. Hartman is a talented guy and has been involved in stuff you might not expect. He co-wrote Pee Wee's Big Adventure. He was a graphic designer who created several album covers for America and Poco and created the Crosby, Stills and Nash logo. But more than anything, he more than any actor I can think of mastered the kind of faux-authoritative voice for buffoonish characters. Being a fan of The Simpsons and NewsRadio, Hartman meant a lot to me and I never could have imagined his death. I assumed he would be with us forever. Hartman was basically an unofficial Simpsons cast member and they utilized him well, playing some untrustworthy people in positions of that imply some sort of authority that really isn't deserved. They were rarely subtly played but he knew how to milk a line for maximum comedy and sometimes hinted at some unexpected humanity. Hartman's characters can play big roles in an episode but even including the first appearance of Lionel Hutz, this is the first and last time Hartman gets a co-lead role on the episode.
In this episode, washed up actor Troy McLure needs to pass an eye test at the DMV where he meets Selma and trades a dinner date for a passing grade. The dinner doesn't go well but when Troy and Selma are leaving, they catch the eye of several celebrity reporters. Troy learns that the positive publicity is putting doubt to some shameful rumours about his sex life and decides to keep up the charade when his agent implies it might help revitalize his career. After a successful Broadway production of a Planet of the Apes musical, things are looking promising for Troy, as he continues the shame relationship straight through till marriage. Selma, meanwhile, is star struck and blinded by love despite several tell tale signs and Troy ignoring her at any opportunity. Eventually Selma is forced to see the truth by her sisters and Selma confronts Troy. Troy is brutally honest but also promises the sham marriage has benefits for them both. Selma agrees and they both enjoy the benefits of fame until Troy realizes his next career move needs to be a child. Selma always wanted a child but after realizing the kind of man Troy is. non-malicious but lacking in love and empathy, she realizes she can't bring a child into their marriage nor be married to him and walks off.
I don't want to make it sound like Phil Hartman doesn't bring subtly and complexity to his characters but it is so rarely needed. But that very fact is actually a boon to the emotional core of the episode. In fact, the best moment in this regard is taken off for syndication. Its a joke scene but its also an incredibly telling one and after the joke has a time to land is a moment of silence and that silence is the sound of Selma realizing something. Selma points out a child is supposed to be an expression of their shared love and Troy says "Oh, like how we built that snowman in that Newport ad? Remember how alive with pleasure they said we were?" Its funny but in that moment, Selma was being open and full of candor and Troy is completely incapable of relating. Its not because of Troy's fish attraction, its because he's and his world is so divorced from regular human emotion, he is incapable of seeing how wrong his decision would have been. Its a really powerful ending to an episode about the nature of celebrity.
The specific sham marriage aspect seems like it might be a call out the many marriages of Tom Cruise. Whether you believe the claims that Cruise is gay and ashamed of it, his weird, Scientology-organized marriages seem like bizarre business transactions. And so from a storytelling perspective, it makes sense to make Selma a romantic Pollyanna who is being taken for a ride. But when she realizes she is and she can actually enjoy the ride, she's all for it. Its an interesting episode, in that we are mostly following Troy but have more empathy for Selma. Troy never learns anything except new ways to get famous. Selma, on the other hand, provides the emotion, not just on paper but in Julie Kavner's acting and the way the character is framed and the editing. Its still all broad but by comparison, Selma reads more "real" in terms of emotion while Troy is a consummate phony, only sounding "real" in his complete disinterest after his first date. Even Troy's attempt to confess his fetish, while not a "show" still seems like a performance with all the acting and directing artifice.
Its not weird to praise Hartman but its interesting to see an actor on a show like the Simpsons where even Mr. Burns can have rare moments of emotional vulnerability and have him play characters who are by their nature disingenuous, whether they are shitty at it like Hutz or can't not be inhumanly stagey, like McClure. Hartman will still be around and even has one more big role in the episode "Realty Bites", Hutz' last episode (and a really great showcase for the character), but this is the episode Hartman gets to use his Hollywood phoney to tell a story about a lonely woman who has to make some big decisions when faced with an emotional life with the most superficial person alive. Its a great episode and its nice to see Hartman really get to take center stage, where he belongs.
Jokes I missed before:
A few but I missed the other meaning of "Go Medieval" in "The Muppets Go Medieval"
"A little something for page one."
Cut to page 38.
Other great jokes:
"Troy is a perfect gentleman like Bing Crosby or JFK..."
"Hello Marge. Hello Marge."
"I've been reading a lot of scripts lately. You know, its a lot cheaper than going to the movie."
"Troy's back from the gutter and he's brought someone with him."
"HAHAHAHAHA! That's so funny! I've never heard a funnier anecdote. Now you tell one."
"Who was it? George Segall? I hear he plays the banjo."
"Selma, Jub Jub is fantastic! He's everywhere you want to be!"
"Welcome to your new home! Its fantastic!"
"My good looks paid for that pool and my talent filled it with water."
"Yeah, 'ts a good idea, Homer, but they already made some movies about World War II."
"Well, then what about Dracula."
"Don't you love me?"
"Sure I do, like I love Fresca."
Obviously its telling how that's a funny and insulting equivalency but also Troy sees Selma as a consumable product.
I love Troy's even more ineffectual sexy growl after having some wine.
Other notes:
I don't no if it was in the script but Troy de-Francophonizing "Bouvier" to "Booveer" is a nice touch. Also like that he mimics the movie when he's proposing to Selma... where he plays Sir Liesalot.
I love Jeff Goldblum but he's one of the great guest actors saddled with a pretty thankless character without a lot to do, Some serviceable lines delivered well. Brendan Fraser gets that in a few season.
Hartman's "I love you too, man" to David Crosby has a lot more weight now.
And now what you are really all here for...
Phil Hartman was one of my comedy heroes. When I heard about his death, I was completely floored. He was never going to be anything more than a character actor but I've learned non-leading character actors are my favourites. Hartman is a talented guy and has been involved in stuff you might not expect. He co-wrote Pee Wee's Big Adventure. He was a graphic designer who created several album covers for America and Poco and created the Crosby, Stills and Nash logo. But more than anything, he more than any actor I can think of mastered the kind of faux-authoritative voice for buffoonish characters. Being a fan of The Simpsons and NewsRadio, Hartman meant a lot to me and I never could have imagined his death. I assumed he would be with us forever. Hartman was basically an unofficial Simpsons cast member and they utilized him well, playing some untrustworthy people in positions of that imply some sort of authority that really isn't deserved. They were rarely subtly played but he knew how to milk a line for maximum comedy and sometimes hinted at some unexpected humanity. Hartman's characters can play big roles in an episode but even including the first appearance of Lionel Hutz, this is the first and last time Hartman gets a co-lead role on the episode.
In this episode, washed up actor Troy McLure needs to pass an eye test at the DMV where he meets Selma and trades a dinner date for a passing grade. The dinner doesn't go well but when Troy and Selma are leaving, they catch the eye of several celebrity reporters. Troy learns that the positive publicity is putting doubt to some shameful rumours about his sex life and decides to keep up the charade when his agent implies it might help revitalize his career. After a successful Broadway production of a Planet of the Apes musical, things are looking promising for Troy, as he continues the shame relationship straight through till marriage. Selma, meanwhile, is star struck and blinded by love despite several tell tale signs and Troy ignoring her at any opportunity. Eventually Selma is forced to see the truth by her sisters and Selma confronts Troy. Troy is brutally honest but also promises the sham marriage has benefits for them both. Selma agrees and they both enjoy the benefits of fame until Troy realizes his next career move needs to be a child. Selma always wanted a child but after realizing the kind of man Troy is. non-malicious but lacking in love and empathy, she realizes she can't bring a child into their marriage nor be married to him and walks off.
I don't want to make it sound like Phil Hartman doesn't bring subtly and complexity to his characters but it is so rarely needed. But that very fact is actually a boon to the emotional core of the episode. In fact, the best moment in this regard is taken off for syndication. Its a joke scene but its also an incredibly telling one and after the joke has a time to land is a moment of silence and that silence is the sound of Selma realizing something. Selma points out a child is supposed to be an expression of their shared love and Troy says "Oh, like how we built that snowman in that Newport ad? Remember how alive with pleasure they said we were?" Its funny but in that moment, Selma was being open and full of candor and Troy is completely incapable of relating. Its not because of Troy's fish attraction, its because he's and his world is so divorced from regular human emotion, he is incapable of seeing how wrong his decision would have been. Its a really powerful ending to an episode about the nature of celebrity.
The specific sham marriage aspect seems like it might be a call out the many marriages of Tom Cruise. Whether you believe the claims that Cruise is gay and ashamed of it, his weird, Scientology-organized marriages seem like bizarre business transactions. And so from a storytelling perspective, it makes sense to make Selma a romantic Pollyanna who is being taken for a ride. But when she realizes she is and she can actually enjoy the ride, she's all for it. Its an interesting episode, in that we are mostly following Troy but have more empathy for Selma. Troy never learns anything except new ways to get famous. Selma, on the other hand, provides the emotion, not just on paper but in Julie Kavner's acting and the way the character is framed and the editing. Its still all broad but by comparison, Selma reads more "real" in terms of emotion while Troy is a consummate phony, only sounding "real" in his complete disinterest after his first date. Even Troy's attempt to confess his fetish, while not a "show" still seems like a performance with all the acting and directing artifice.
Its not weird to praise Hartman but its interesting to see an actor on a show like the Simpsons where even Mr. Burns can have rare moments of emotional vulnerability and have him play characters who are by their nature disingenuous, whether they are shitty at it like Hutz or can't not be inhumanly stagey, like McClure. Hartman will still be around and even has one more big role in the episode "Realty Bites", Hutz' last episode (and a really great showcase for the character), but this is the episode Hartman gets to use his Hollywood phoney to tell a story about a lonely woman who has to make some big decisions when faced with an emotional life with the most superficial person alive. Its a great episode and its nice to see Hartman really get to take center stage, where he belongs.
Jokes I missed before:
A few but I missed the other meaning of "Go Medieval" in "The Muppets Go Medieval"
"A little something for page one."
Cut to page 38.
Other great jokes:
"Troy is a perfect gentleman like Bing Crosby or JFK..."
"Hello Marge. Hello Marge."
"I've been reading a lot of scripts lately. You know, its a lot cheaper than going to the movie."
"Troy's back from the gutter and he's brought someone with him."
"HAHAHAHAHA! That's so funny! I've never heard a funnier anecdote. Now you tell one."
"Who was it? George Segall? I hear he plays the banjo."
"Selma, Jub Jub is fantastic! He's everywhere you want to be!"
"Welcome to your new home! Its fantastic!"
"My good looks paid for that pool and my talent filled it with water."
"Yeah, 'ts a good idea, Homer, but they already made some movies about World War II."
"Well, then what about Dracula."
"Don't you love me?"
"Sure I do, like I love Fresca."
Obviously its telling how that's a funny and insulting equivalency but also Troy sees Selma as a consumable product.
I love Troy's even more ineffectual sexy growl after having some wine.
Other notes:
I don't no if it was in the script but Troy de-Francophonizing "Bouvier" to "Booveer" is a nice touch. Also like that he mimics the movie when he's proposing to Selma... where he plays Sir Liesalot.
I love Jeff Goldblum but he's one of the great guest actors saddled with a pretty thankless character without a lot to do, Some serviceable lines delivered well. Brendan Fraser gets that in a few season.
Hartman's "I love you too, man" to David Crosby has a lot more weight now.
And now what you are really all here for...
Phil Hartman was never gonna be the magic panacea that prevented The Simpsons' drop in quality that some fans think he would've been, but his tragic loss was definitely a huge blow to the show.
Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz were both amazing characters and they are definitely missed in later seasons. And while Billy West is awesome as Zapp Brannigan sometimes I wonder what might have been.
The closest we will ever get to Hartman as Zapp is his voice work as the titular Blasto.
Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz were both amazing characters and they are definitely missed in later seasons. And while Billy West is awesome as Zapp Brannigan sometimes I wonder what might have been.
It’s right up there with “I just think they’re neat” and “I call the big one Bitey”
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Bart on the Road
Ah road trips. Me, JBear and others used to go on road trips from time to time. We still take trips to my family cottage but that's not really a road trip because that's definitely about the destination. A road trip is often a journey oriented affair. Yeah, it helps to have a good destination or destinations, but its about the stops, the scenery and some exploration. Road trips are less common as I get older and frankly as much as I like seeing places, I like hanging out in a single place more. And the age of COVID has put any dreams of exploration on hold indefinitely. But until then, we can enjoy the fantasy of road trips in TV and film.
In this episode, Skinner creates a "take your child to work day" to accommodate his vacation. Lisa spends the day with Homer and the two find themselves bonding while Bart spends the day with Patty and Selma at the DMV and finds the opportunity to make a fake ID. Bart, Milhouse and Nelson try to make use of the ID but find nothing of note until they come across Martin, recently flush with cash. Bart realizes they can go on a Spring Break road trip and the gang eventually comes across the Knoxville World's Fair in the guidebook in the rental car. After fun getting there, the kids discover that the world's fair ended 14 years prior. Even worse, they run out of money and their car is destroyed, leaving them stranded. Lisa, meanwhile, spends her days at the plant with Homer. When Bart confesses to Lisa what happened in hopes of a solution, Lisa tells Homer and insists Homer not tell Bart. Eventually, the two work on a solution and find a way to get Bart and the others home.
Despite the fact that the meat of the episode is Bart's misadventures, the heart of the episode is with Lisa and Homer. We've seen the two bond before and it isn't too different than previous outings save for the bond is never really threatened. Instead, the episode is about the secrets kids have and parents getting them out of trouble. In this episode, Homer has to be a parent in a way we don't often see: there's an aspect of being a protector but there's also a feeling out of the rules that exist between parent and child. There's no perfect set of rules and sometimes a parent might go along with a kid's idea even counter to normal rules, like that time, not even kidding, my dad let 6 year old me watch Robocop to win a bet. Its amazing Dad never stopped after ED 209 riddled the guy with bullets. But Homer, wanting to treasure his new bond, rejects the usual "I'll openly pull Bart's fat out of the fire and punish him" and instead Lisa and Homer brainstorm something else. In the end, Lisa and Homer have a new outlet for their love and an intimate connection no one else is a party too... included shared silent stewing at Bart's non-punishment.
The other half, the more notable half, is about that feeling when a childish adventure has gone to far and leaves you in a place where your parents can't help or you are too afraid to ask them. Its about the joy of freedom from parents and then finding out how scary the world can be without their protection and money. But really, the episode is about the joyous leadup to their hilarious disappointment that Knoxville is kind of a bummer. Comedically, the reveal of how disappointing the World's Fair is pays off well, with many classic lines. But even though it is comedically strong, the last act does have an air of the discomfort of a child knowing he's in big trouble and it being worrying. Obviously, its not the same kind of emotion of Marge Be Not Proud, but it is baked in, even if the comedy is what is at the forefront.
I suppose if there is a real thematic throughline, aside from parents (one story with them absent, one with a close bond), its lies. The episode even begins with a lie via Principal Skinner that kicks off the two stories. The episode ends with dramatic irony that Homer is very aware of Bart's lie but must hold his tongue for Lisa, watching him charm his mom. In the end, the last scene is Homer enjoying the lie, as Marge gets increasingly confusing phone calls related to Bart's misadventures that only Homer has context for and he stifles his laughter. I don't think it is ABOUT lying, necessarily, but I think it is about line of what we feel comfortable telling out parents and what we don't. I don't think I'd put this episode as a whole in the top Simpsons episodes but I might put the Sunsphere section as one of the show's memorable moments.
Jokes I missed before:
One of the Branson marquees
"Up With White People"
Also, Lurleen Lumpkin is playing Branson.
Other great jokes:
"Apply your knowledge of fractions and gym to real world situations."
"You got greedy, Martin."
"Boy, this is a lot more fun with a second person."
"I can think of at least two things wrong with that title."
As a big Cronenberg fan, I really need to see that movie.
"What's inside?"
"AN INFORMATION DESK!"
"COOL!"
"THAT'S IT! BACK TO WINNIPEG!"
"And with my patented seminar, you will learn how to corner the real estate market through hypnosis. Why waste your hypnotic powers of friends and co-workers..."
"Remember, we're parked under the Sunsphere."
"Alright, I have sought this through. First I will send Bart the money to fly home, then I will murder him."
Great even toned delivery here.
Other notes:
So... what does it mean that Skinner was apparently very adamant about not having the kosher meal?
I love that Nelson's taste in things is decidedly not cool. Not even knocking Andy Williams and carpet shampooers, but Nelson's likes are perfectly idiosyncratic in their unpopularity.
Man, the next five episodes coming up are all gold, even if one of them is very Apu-centric and therefore, good intentions aside, has a problematic element at its core.
Ah road trips. Me, JBear and others used to go on road trips from time to time. We still take trips to my family cottage but that's not really a road trip because that's definitely about the destination. A road trip is often a journey oriented affair. Yeah, it helps to have a good destination or destinations, but its about the stops, the scenery and some exploration. Road trips are less common as I get older and frankly as much as I like seeing places, I like hanging out in a single place more. And the age of COVID has put any dreams of exploration on hold indefinitely. But until then, we can enjoy the fantasy of road trips in TV and film.
In this episode, Skinner creates a "take your child to work day" to accommodate his vacation. Lisa spends the day with Homer and the two find themselves bonding while Bart spends the day with Patty and Selma at the DMV and finds the opportunity to make a fake ID. Bart, Milhouse and Nelson try to make use of the ID but find nothing of note until they come across Martin, recently flush with cash. Bart realizes they can go on a Spring Break road trip and the gang eventually comes across the Knoxville World's Fair in the guidebook in the rental car. After fun getting there, the kids discover that the world's fair ended 14 years prior. Even worse, they run out of money and their car is destroyed, leaving them stranded. Lisa, meanwhile, spends her days at the plant with Homer. When Bart confesses to Lisa what happened in hopes of a solution, Lisa tells Homer and insists Homer not tell Bart. Eventually, the two work on a solution and find a way to get Bart and the others home.
Despite the fact that the meat of the episode is Bart's misadventures, the heart of the episode is with Lisa and Homer. We've seen the two bond before and it isn't too different than previous outings save for the bond is never really threatened. Instead, the episode is about the secrets kids have and parents getting them out of trouble. In this episode, Homer has to be a parent in a way we don't often see: there's an aspect of being a protector but there's also a feeling out of the rules that exist between parent and child. There's no perfect set of rules and sometimes a parent might go along with a kid's idea even counter to normal rules, like that time, not even kidding, my dad let 6 year old me watch Robocop to win a bet. Its amazing Dad never stopped after ED 209 riddled the guy with bullets. But Homer, wanting to treasure his new bond, rejects the usual "I'll openly pull Bart's fat out of the fire and punish him" and instead Lisa and Homer brainstorm something else. In the end, Lisa and Homer have a new outlet for their love and an intimate connection no one else is a party too... included shared silent stewing at Bart's non-punishment.
The other half, the more notable half, is about that feeling when a childish adventure has gone to far and leaves you in a place where your parents can't help or you are too afraid to ask them. Its about the joy of freedom from parents and then finding out how scary the world can be without their protection and money. But really, the episode is about the joyous leadup to their hilarious disappointment that Knoxville is kind of a bummer. Comedically, the reveal of how disappointing the World's Fair is pays off well, with many classic lines. But even though it is comedically strong, the last act does have an air of the discomfort of a child knowing he's in big trouble and it being worrying. Obviously, its not the same kind of emotion of Marge Be Not Proud, but it is baked in, even if the comedy is what is at the forefront.
I suppose if there is a real thematic throughline, aside from parents (one story with them absent, one with a close bond), its lies. The episode even begins with a lie via Principal Skinner that kicks off the two stories. The episode ends with dramatic irony that Homer is very aware of Bart's lie but must hold his tongue for Lisa, watching him charm his mom. In the end, the last scene is Homer enjoying the lie, as Marge gets increasingly confusing phone calls related to Bart's misadventures that only Homer has context for and he stifles his laughter. I don't think it is ABOUT lying, necessarily, but I think it is about line of what we feel comfortable telling out parents and what we don't. I don't think I'd put this episode as a whole in the top Simpsons episodes but I might put the Sunsphere section as one of the show's memorable moments.
Jokes I missed before:
One of the Branson marquees
"Up With White People"
Also, Lurleen Lumpkin is playing Branson.
Other great jokes:
"Apply your knowledge of fractions and gym to real world situations."
"You got greedy, Martin."
"Boy, this is a lot more fun with a second person."
"I can think of at least two things wrong with that title."
As a big Cronenberg fan, I really need to see that movie.
"What's inside?"
"AN INFORMATION DESK!"
"COOL!"
"THAT'S IT! BACK TO WINNIPEG!"
"And with my patented seminar, you will learn how to corner the real estate market through hypnosis. Why waste your hypnotic powers of friends and co-workers..."
"Remember, we're parked under the Sunsphere."
"Alright, I have sought this through. First I will send Bart the money to fly home, then I will murder him."
Great even toned delivery here.
Other notes:
So... what does it mean that Skinner was apparently very adamant about not having the kosher meal?
I love that Nelson's taste in things is decidedly not cool. Not even knocking Andy Williams and carpet shampooers, but Nelson's likes are perfectly idiosyncratic in their unpopularity.
Man, the next five episodes coming up are all gold, even if one of them is very Apu-centric and therefore, good intentions aside, has a problematic element at its core.
Last edited:
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
22 Short Films About Springfield
The Simpsons has one of the most impressively huge cast of memorable characters that any animated series could hope for. Many started as one off-jokes who evolved into legitimately interesting characters. I mean, Disco Stu is never going to have too much depth (despite the Taxi Cab Confessions parody that implies otherwise) but Flanders went from Homer's yuppie neighbor to deeply religious kind-hearted person with deepseated anger issues to... lets stop there because that's the best Flanders. Smithers went from generic sycophant to a man whose loyalty stems from unrequited love, adding a somewhat tragic nature to his doormat nature. This hasn't always worked, as I feel like the increased prominence of Comic Book Guy has yielded more bad stories than good and some characters have proven to have pretty shaky legs to support an episode on their own (Otto, a good character but missing an element that lets him be an interesting episode lead). But the Simpsons has created such a perfect playground with a mix of outsized archetypes and the internal logic of the world. No wonder the show's creators wanted to make an episode as a showcase for their amazing cast.
In this episode, Bart wonders about the people who live in Springfield. Then we see a series of short and sometimes interwoven vignettes with Apu, Lisa, Burns and Smithers, Dr. Nick Riveria, Moe and Barney, Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers, Homer and Maggie, Chief Wiggum and Snake, Bumblebee Man, Reverend Lovejoy and Flanders, Cletus, Milhouse and Comic Book Guy, and Nelson and a very tall man.
So maybe I'll just keep this simple buy ranking the show on a sketch by sketch basis. "Apu in the Jolly Bengali" is somewhat weak even keeping out the problematic nature of the title character, though the final beat is pretty good. The Lisa runner that occurs through the episode is pretty decent and has some good lines but I really don't have much to say about it. In design, it feels like a 6 page Archie comic but with actual good jokes. Smithers and Burns' story is very funny and speaks to the nature of the character, as the only way Burns can save his only friend is too bully him and boss him around. Dr. Nick Riveria's sketch is one of the strongest ones, with lots of great lines and Riveria actually finding a way to make his quackery useful: placating hypochondriacs in an admittedly unhealthy symbiotic relationship. Moe's sketch is kinda funny. "Skinner & the Superintendent" is the highlight of the episode and is a work of comedic genius. So good is it, I am forced to discuss it at length in the paragraph after next.
Homer's sketch is pretty unremarkable and is so similar to regular Homer hi-jinx, its a wonder why they bothered in an episode where other characters have a chance at the spotlight. The Pulp Fiction runner has some good jokes but while the humour itself isn't dated, but having grown up in the 90s, I remember when EVERYONE was doing Pulp Fiction parodies (including a number of children's cartoons), meaning it feels very easy to date exactly when the episode came out. Bumbleman's sketch is predicated on the idea that even at home with his costume off, the character is pretty much the same guy. Its pretty forgettable and I feel like plays on a lot of tropes of how Latinos are portrayed in that era of TV. The Flanders and Lovejoy bit isn't particularly funny but speaks to their relationship but is really just a lead in to the next Lisa sketch. Cletus has a pretty memorable theme song but is unremarkable and again, the Simpson is using a stereotype, this time more classist than racial. Milhouse and Comic Book Guy is pretty funny and leads into the final segment of the Pulp Fiction runner pretty well. The Nelson sketch is a bit meanspirited and knowingly so. Despite being the bully who laughs at people, this feels like its supposed to be a "long time comeuppance" but I don't know if it is anything people have been waiting for, like Trix Rabbit finally getting some tricks.
Skinner & the Superintendent, better known as "Steamed Hams" is by far the best sketch. Watching this episode again, I still had a great time but it was jarring to realize just how much higher the quality is in this one compared to the other stories. A while ago, Bill Oakley gave a wonderful oral history of the sketch and the episode. Basically, the popularity of Pulp Fiction with its multiple narratives and Oakley wanting to do another "The Adventures of Ned Flanders" sketch spurred on the episode and everyone on the writing staff got to "draft" their favourite characters to write a bit for. Oakley chose Chalmers (apparently not Skinner) because, in Oakley's words "I love that dynamic where Skinner tells a crazy lie, Chalmers calls him on it, Skinner then makes up another lie and Chalmers asks maybe one more question, but then gives up." But what works here in the sketch is that he doesn't just give up on his line of questioning and being a detective, he also gives up on being skeptical. He really wants to see that aurora borealis. I was also struck on this viewing on Skinner really thinking whether Chalmers can see it or not. Like, I noticed it before, but now I see it as considering "If I show him the fire, will he still believe me? Can I spin this?" I love the idea of Chalmers constantly giving Skinner more rope to hang himself, never dropping the boom and after getting so close to the truth, just letting it go. Azaria and Shearer are at the top of their comedic games here and there's an awkwardness that calls to mind both zippy Vaudeville and the stammering stand up of Bob Newhart. BTW, everyone should go read the oral history. As for its memeness, I don't have strong feelings. A couple made me laugh. Some people love it to death, JBear can't stand it but I am in a position where I get why it hit big. The structure and waves of this two-hander make it easy to parody the structure of other things. Its worth noting that Oakley has stated his favourite is the Metal Gear Solid one.
Oakley fully admits he doesn't know a thing about Metal Gear but I can see why it isn't a hindrance: you can see the specificity of it without knowing it and it can give you an idea of the ridiculous structure of Metal Gear even if you don't know what it is. These are all less a commentary on Steamed Hams and more about the structure and aesthetic of what Steamed Hams is paired with on the video that goes with it. It would be easy to say "you just jammed two things together like a stupid nerd pandering T-Shirt that's "Rick and Morty in an Overwatch" but the key difference is to edit one of those video successfully, you really need to deconstruct the other half of the equation and understand what makes it what it is. It doesn't make it funny, per se, but to do it well, it actually does take a critical eye and real editing skills.
I'm kind of surprised the Simpsons never tried another 22 Short Films episode. Its probably for the best; I feel like most of the extended cast gets their moments in the sun anyway, even if it is a silly one-joke character. And while I call this episode better than "hit or miss" its not quite as strong as I remember, simply that the strong bits are VERY strong.
Jokes I missed before:
Other great jokes:
Other notes:
I love Lisa asking if she can recycle something and Marge's "Why not." as in "Why even ask."
"Leave it in as evidence. Bazooka Joe's got deep pockets!"
"That is a rare photo of Sean Connery signed by Roger Moore."
"The child has already solved the jumble using crayon. The answer is fries."
"Oh, our transaction is complete, you may take the boy."
Other notes:
I know the Very Tall Man's voice is an impression of a specific person but I really don't know who. Great voice though.
The jumble again.
The Simpsons has one of the most impressively huge cast of memorable characters that any animated series could hope for. Many started as one off-jokes who evolved into legitimately interesting characters. I mean, Disco Stu is never going to have too much depth (despite the Taxi Cab Confessions parody that implies otherwise) but Flanders went from Homer's yuppie neighbor to deeply religious kind-hearted person with deepseated anger issues to... lets stop there because that's the best Flanders. Smithers went from generic sycophant to a man whose loyalty stems from unrequited love, adding a somewhat tragic nature to his doormat nature. This hasn't always worked, as I feel like the increased prominence of Comic Book Guy has yielded more bad stories than good and some characters have proven to have pretty shaky legs to support an episode on their own (Otto, a good character but missing an element that lets him be an interesting episode lead). But the Simpsons has created such a perfect playground with a mix of outsized archetypes and the internal logic of the world. No wonder the show's creators wanted to make an episode as a showcase for their amazing cast.
In this episode, Bart wonders about the people who live in Springfield. Then we see a series of short and sometimes interwoven vignettes with Apu, Lisa, Burns and Smithers, Dr. Nick Riveria, Moe and Barney, Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers, Homer and Maggie, Chief Wiggum and Snake, Bumblebee Man, Reverend Lovejoy and Flanders, Cletus, Milhouse and Comic Book Guy, and Nelson and a very tall man.
So maybe I'll just keep this simple buy ranking the show on a sketch by sketch basis. "Apu in the Jolly Bengali" is somewhat weak even keeping out the problematic nature of the title character, though the final beat is pretty good. The Lisa runner that occurs through the episode is pretty decent and has some good lines but I really don't have much to say about it. In design, it feels like a 6 page Archie comic but with actual good jokes. Smithers and Burns' story is very funny and speaks to the nature of the character, as the only way Burns can save his only friend is too bully him and boss him around. Dr. Nick Riveria's sketch is one of the strongest ones, with lots of great lines and Riveria actually finding a way to make his quackery useful: placating hypochondriacs in an admittedly unhealthy symbiotic relationship. Moe's sketch is kinda funny. "Skinner & the Superintendent" is the highlight of the episode and is a work of comedic genius. So good is it, I am forced to discuss it at length in the paragraph after next.
Homer's sketch is pretty unremarkable and is so similar to regular Homer hi-jinx, its a wonder why they bothered in an episode where other characters have a chance at the spotlight. The Pulp Fiction runner has some good jokes but while the humour itself isn't dated, but having grown up in the 90s, I remember when EVERYONE was doing Pulp Fiction parodies (including a number of children's cartoons), meaning it feels very easy to date exactly when the episode came out. Bumbleman's sketch is predicated on the idea that even at home with his costume off, the character is pretty much the same guy. Its pretty forgettable and I feel like plays on a lot of tropes of how Latinos are portrayed in that era of TV. The Flanders and Lovejoy bit isn't particularly funny but speaks to their relationship but is really just a lead in to the next Lisa sketch. Cletus has a pretty memorable theme song but is unremarkable and again, the Simpson is using a stereotype, this time more classist than racial. Milhouse and Comic Book Guy is pretty funny and leads into the final segment of the Pulp Fiction runner pretty well. The Nelson sketch is a bit meanspirited and knowingly so. Despite being the bully who laughs at people, this feels like its supposed to be a "long time comeuppance" but I don't know if it is anything people have been waiting for, like Trix Rabbit finally getting some tricks.
Skinner & the Superintendent, better known as "Steamed Hams" is by far the best sketch. Watching this episode again, I still had a great time but it was jarring to realize just how much higher the quality is in this one compared to the other stories. A while ago, Bill Oakley gave a wonderful oral history of the sketch and the episode. Basically, the popularity of Pulp Fiction with its multiple narratives and Oakley wanting to do another "The Adventures of Ned Flanders" sketch spurred on the episode and everyone on the writing staff got to "draft" their favourite characters to write a bit for. Oakley chose Chalmers (apparently not Skinner) because, in Oakley's words "I love that dynamic where Skinner tells a crazy lie, Chalmers calls him on it, Skinner then makes up another lie and Chalmers asks maybe one more question, but then gives up." But what works here in the sketch is that he doesn't just give up on his line of questioning and being a detective, he also gives up on being skeptical. He really wants to see that aurora borealis. I was also struck on this viewing on Skinner really thinking whether Chalmers can see it or not. Like, I noticed it before, but now I see it as considering "If I show him the fire, will he still believe me? Can I spin this?" I love the idea of Chalmers constantly giving Skinner more rope to hang himself, never dropping the boom and after getting so close to the truth, just letting it go. Azaria and Shearer are at the top of their comedic games here and there's an awkwardness that calls to mind both zippy Vaudeville and the stammering stand up of Bob Newhart. BTW, everyone should go read the oral history. As for its memeness, I don't have strong feelings. A couple made me laugh. Some people love it to death, JBear can't stand it but I am in a position where I get why it hit big. The structure and waves of this two-hander make it easy to parody the structure of other things. Its worth noting that Oakley has stated his favourite is the Metal Gear Solid one.
Oakley fully admits he doesn't know a thing about Metal Gear but I can see why it isn't a hindrance: you can see the specificity of it without knowing it and it can give you an idea of the ridiculous structure of Metal Gear even if you don't know what it is. These are all less a commentary on Steamed Hams and more about the structure and aesthetic of what Steamed Hams is paired with on the video that goes with it. It would be easy to say "you just jammed two things together like a stupid nerd pandering T-Shirt that's "Rick and Morty in an Overwatch" but the key difference is to edit one of those video successfully, you really need to deconstruct the other half of the equation and understand what makes it what it is. It doesn't make it funny, per se, but to do it well, it actually does take a critical eye and real editing skills.
I'm kind of surprised the Simpsons never tried another 22 Short Films episode. Its probably for the best; I feel like most of the extended cast gets their moments in the sun anyway, even if it is a silly one-joke character. And while I call this episode better than "hit or miss" its not quite as strong as I remember, simply that the strong bits are VERY strong.
Jokes I missed before:
Other great jokes:
Other notes:
I love Lisa asking if she can recycle something and Marge's "Why not." as in "Why even ask."
"Leave it in as evidence. Bazooka Joe's got deep pockets!"
"That is a rare photo of Sean Connery signed by Roger Moore."
"The child has already solved the jumble using crayon. The answer is fries."
"Oh, our transaction is complete, you may take the boy."
Other notes:
I know the Very Tall Man's voice is an impression of a specific person but I really don't know who. Great voice though.
The jumble again.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
This needed its own space.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Raging Abe Simpson and his Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"
I often worry that I don't spend enough time with my dad and take advantage of learning of him. I know a lot of broad strokes about his life and he has some stories, but I'm sure that there's lots I don't know. Of course, during these COVID times its hard to meet up with him anyway but even when it wasn't, usually we'd only meet for dinner twice a week with my sister's family and usually we just talk about our week. I have no doubt that he has more great stories of his life and while he isn't in any immediate danger, his MS means that he is extra vulnerable to sickness and is likely to have a shorter lifespan than he would otherwise. I really need to take time and really talk with him some time to keep some of those stories.
In this episode, Abe Simpson embarrasses Bart during grandparents day at school, leaving Bart frustrated with his grandpa. Grandpa gets a letter declaring "Asa Phelps is dead", leading to a funeral where the only attendants are he and Mr. Burns, who check a name at a list. It seems a treasure has been promised to the last survivor of the two and to that end Burns wants Abe dead. After a few failed assassination attempts, Grandpa tries to hide with the Simpsons where he reveals to Bart his story. It seems that Grandpa and Burns were in the same army unit in World War II with Grandpa being the commanding officer. At the war's end, Burns finds some priceless paintings in a castle following a battle and the soldiers agree to keep them and sell them. Since it is far too early to sell them, the unit agrees to a tontine, an agreement where the last surviving participant gets everything. Now with two remaining, Burns wants to close the deal and take the treasure for himself. Bart doesn't believe the story until Burns shows up to steal Abe's key to the treasure. Bart manages to use his wits to take Burns' key and the two hunt for the treasure. The duo find the treasure and while Burns nearly steals it, Abe is able to defeat him. Abe discharges Burns from the unit and takes the treasure as the last participant still a member, only to have the treasure taken by the state department and given to its lawful owner. Bart shows newfound love and respect for his grandpa.
A lot of the best Grandpa episodes have a tinge of sadness to them, a sense of melancholy that after a life lived, he's now alone a lot of the time. Grandpa's done some crappy things and has had a lot of failings as a father and a husband, even more than Homer, but despite this he doesn't deserve the treatment he gets. Grandpa's state is a damning indictment of how the elderly is treated in society, often salved a bit by his bad behaviour making it a bit easier to laugh at him. But because of this, he often in a role of weakness. In this episode, we get to see a side of Grandpa we've never seen before. I'm pretty sure in Bart the General the show gave him a military past but this is the first time we get a glimpse of it. Though the first act has a lot of the sadness and silliness we know from the character, he get to give him some real dignity in a rollicking action adventure. These kinds of stories aren't uncommon in the show but adventures are usually Bart and Lisa episodes. Here we get to see Grandpa as competent and his curmudgeonly attitude less in the mode of "cranky old man" and more "hardened soldier".
What the episode is really about is Bart learning to love and respect his grandpa. Bart never hates his grandpa but he views him the way Homer does; as an inconvenience. With Homer its a little more sympathetic, being the product of his bad parenting. It doesn't forgive his behaviour but its understandable why he would like to spend as little time with him as possible. Bart just sees him as an old crank he not only can't relate too but is an active pain in the neck. Bart gets to learn about his grandpa and sees him in a new light, as someone who is cool, brave and tough. He gets to take him on a cool adventure with action and excitement. Bart's a little kid so he's less responding to the sacrifices he makes as a soldier and more to him being a cool guy who shot guns and did cool action hero stuff. But that's OK, this episode really isn't about some greater comment on how we treat our veterans, its a tale about how the people we know may have had lives and qualities we never knew.
The episode does a great job with some fun set pieces and really cool mood moments. The funeral scene is a series of jokes and exposition but also has a moody tone to it with the dark rainy day. Burns appearing from the darkness in the climax is a nice cinematic moment. The upward angle as Burns busts into Bart's room in a cherry picker makes him look extra evil with a looming shadow and a sense that the weak old man is towering over our heroes. The final bit of action is a lot of fun but its also satisfying to see Abe win the day. I feel like the Simpsons did a few straight up adventure episodes before but this one is definitely trying to have some Spielbergian blockbuster-styled fun and it should be no surprise that Jeffrey Lynch would become an assistant director on some big movies, including the Iron Giant and the original Spider-Man trilogy. I love when a comedy can actually get me excited as well, as I'm genuinely invested in the action and adventure and get excited when Abe gets to be the hero.
Jokes I missed before:
Other great jokes:
"No, I'm not Superman..."
I love that probably all the grandparents are using that line and he uses it to talk about all the deaths he's responsible for.
"But I do have slippers and an oatmeal spoon. LOOK!"
"My story begins in nineteen dickety two. We had to say dickety cause the Kaiser had stolen our word twenty. I chased that rascal to get it back but gave up after dickety six miles."
"I spent three years on that terlet."
"How long was that?"
"Perhaps if we wait, nature will assassinate him for us."
The entire Fernando Vidal segment is gold.
"Bart's room."
"Bart's room."
"Bart's room."
"Dumpster."
"We'll all be rich, rich as Nazis."
"Well put, Oxford."
"Oh, terribly sorry, back to sleep little girl."
"Santa?"
"Well, not so much Burnsy."
"And when I die, you're all welcome to visit me in rich man's heaven."
"63 is if you run out of air. 64 is if you find the treasure."
"Well, I guess he deserves it more than I do."
Other notes:
I've never noticed this before but Grandpa Van Houten talks about "his new wife". I can't tell if Milhouse's Grandpa was from Luann's or Kirk's side of the family but it could paint a picture.
Oh, the 90s, was there ever a gay panic joke you didn't like?
I often worry that I don't spend enough time with my dad and take advantage of learning of him. I know a lot of broad strokes about his life and he has some stories, but I'm sure that there's lots I don't know. Of course, during these COVID times its hard to meet up with him anyway but even when it wasn't, usually we'd only meet for dinner twice a week with my sister's family and usually we just talk about our week. I have no doubt that he has more great stories of his life and while he isn't in any immediate danger, his MS means that he is extra vulnerable to sickness and is likely to have a shorter lifespan than he would otherwise. I really need to take time and really talk with him some time to keep some of those stories.
In this episode, Abe Simpson embarrasses Bart during grandparents day at school, leaving Bart frustrated with his grandpa. Grandpa gets a letter declaring "Asa Phelps is dead", leading to a funeral where the only attendants are he and Mr. Burns, who check a name at a list. It seems a treasure has been promised to the last survivor of the two and to that end Burns wants Abe dead. After a few failed assassination attempts, Grandpa tries to hide with the Simpsons where he reveals to Bart his story. It seems that Grandpa and Burns were in the same army unit in World War II with Grandpa being the commanding officer. At the war's end, Burns finds some priceless paintings in a castle following a battle and the soldiers agree to keep them and sell them. Since it is far too early to sell them, the unit agrees to a tontine, an agreement where the last surviving participant gets everything. Now with two remaining, Burns wants to close the deal and take the treasure for himself. Bart doesn't believe the story until Burns shows up to steal Abe's key to the treasure. Bart manages to use his wits to take Burns' key and the two hunt for the treasure. The duo find the treasure and while Burns nearly steals it, Abe is able to defeat him. Abe discharges Burns from the unit and takes the treasure as the last participant still a member, only to have the treasure taken by the state department and given to its lawful owner. Bart shows newfound love and respect for his grandpa.
A lot of the best Grandpa episodes have a tinge of sadness to them, a sense of melancholy that after a life lived, he's now alone a lot of the time. Grandpa's done some crappy things and has had a lot of failings as a father and a husband, even more than Homer, but despite this he doesn't deserve the treatment he gets. Grandpa's state is a damning indictment of how the elderly is treated in society, often salved a bit by his bad behaviour making it a bit easier to laugh at him. But because of this, he often in a role of weakness. In this episode, we get to see a side of Grandpa we've never seen before. I'm pretty sure in Bart the General the show gave him a military past but this is the first time we get a glimpse of it. Though the first act has a lot of the sadness and silliness we know from the character, he get to give him some real dignity in a rollicking action adventure. These kinds of stories aren't uncommon in the show but adventures are usually Bart and Lisa episodes. Here we get to see Grandpa as competent and his curmudgeonly attitude less in the mode of "cranky old man" and more "hardened soldier".
What the episode is really about is Bart learning to love and respect his grandpa. Bart never hates his grandpa but he views him the way Homer does; as an inconvenience. With Homer its a little more sympathetic, being the product of his bad parenting. It doesn't forgive his behaviour but its understandable why he would like to spend as little time with him as possible. Bart just sees him as an old crank he not only can't relate too but is an active pain in the neck. Bart gets to learn about his grandpa and sees him in a new light, as someone who is cool, brave and tough. He gets to take him on a cool adventure with action and excitement. Bart's a little kid so he's less responding to the sacrifices he makes as a soldier and more to him being a cool guy who shot guns and did cool action hero stuff. But that's OK, this episode really isn't about some greater comment on how we treat our veterans, its a tale about how the people we know may have had lives and qualities we never knew.
The episode does a great job with some fun set pieces and really cool mood moments. The funeral scene is a series of jokes and exposition but also has a moody tone to it with the dark rainy day. Burns appearing from the darkness in the climax is a nice cinematic moment. The upward angle as Burns busts into Bart's room in a cherry picker makes him look extra evil with a looming shadow and a sense that the weak old man is towering over our heroes. The final bit of action is a lot of fun but its also satisfying to see Abe win the day. I feel like the Simpsons did a few straight up adventure episodes before but this one is definitely trying to have some Spielbergian blockbuster-styled fun and it should be no surprise that Jeffrey Lynch would become an assistant director on some big movies, including the Iron Giant and the original Spider-Man trilogy. I love when a comedy can actually get me excited as well, as I'm genuinely invested in the action and adventure and get excited when Abe gets to be the hero.
Jokes I missed before:
Other great jokes:
"No, I'm not Superman..."
I love that probably all the grandparents are using that line and he uses it to talk about all the deaths he's responsible for.
"But I do have slippers and an oatmeal spoon. LOOK!"
"My story begins in nineteen dickety two. We had to say dickety cause the Kaiser had stolen our word twenty. I chased that rascal to get it back but gave up after dickety six miles."
"I spent three years on that terlet."
"How long was that?"
"Perhaps if we wait, nature will assassinate him for us."
The entire Fernando Vidal segment is gold.
"Bart's room."
"Bart's room."
"Bart's room."
"Dumpster."
"We'll all be rich, rich as Nazis."
"Well put, Oxford."
"Oh, terribly sorry, back to sleep little girl."
"Santa?"
"Well, not so much Burnsy."
"And when I die, you're all welcome to visit me in rich man's heaven."
"63 is if you run out of air. 64 is if you find the treasure."
"Well, I guess he deserves it more than I do."
Other notes:
I've never noticed this before but Grandpa Van Houten talks about "his new wife". I can't tell if Milhouse's Grandpa was from Luann's or Kirk's side of the family but it could paint a picture.
Oh, the 90s, was there ever a gay panic joke you didn't like?
Grandpa Van Houton looks more like Kirk, but Luann also looks like Kirk, so it’s murky waters all around.
Unless his second wife is Luanns mother, which is my new headcanon
Unless his second wife is Luanns mother, which is my new headcanon